Joint Proclamation

City of Columbia, Missouri and City of Kutaisi,
Republic of Georgia

WHEREAS, the City of Kutaisi,
Republic of Georgia, and the City of Columbia, Boone
County, Missouri, United States of America, have
interests in furthering people-to-people ties between
our cities; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate for the City
of Columbia to jointly proclaim with the City
of Kutaisi an agreement to Sister City relationships
which will include exchange visits, cultural
and social programs of mutual interest and
concern, and other developments of governmental
and economic significance; and

WHEREAS, the City of Kutaisi has been
selected to lead the reforms in Georgia in
the areas of City Government, health care,
education and business and free enterprise
development; and

WHEREAS, the history and successful
development of the City of Columbia can provide
a model of success useful for the City of Kutaisi
during its transition to a free market economy;
and

WHEREAS, the City of Kutaisi and the
City of Columbia have participated in joint
hosting of significant citizen to citizen exchanges
in the areas of medicine, nursing, dentistry,
diabetic education, art, business, student
and faculty scholars exchanges; and

WHEREAS, A Call To Serve (ACTS) Missouri,
the local affiliate of the nonprofit organization
A Call To Serve (ACTS) International will coordinate
all Sister City activities for the City of
Columbia, and A Call To Serve (ACTS) Kutaisi
will coordinate all Sister City activities
for the City of Kutaisi.
NOW, THEREFORE, in our desire to establish this relationship, we the City
of Kutaisi, Republic of Georgia, and we the City of Columbia, Boone County, Missouri,
United States of America, do hereby establish this Sister City relationship to
be in effect until March 2001 and declare our interest by signing this proclamation
stating the same. This Sister City relationship will be renewed upon mutual agreement
of both cities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and caused to be affixed
hereto our signatures this 22nd day of April 1997.

CITY OF KUTAISI, REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA Teimuraz
Shashiashvili, Mayor

Attest: Gulnara Chavchidze, Vice
Mayor

CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA Darwin Hindman, Mayor